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Estate Planning Newsletter

September 2005
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In this Issue
Joke of the Month
Estate Tip of the Month
Free Initial Consultation
Estate Help

About Us
Andrew Traub Attorney Lawyer Austin, Texas
The Traub Law Office is a Full Service Law Firm located at 5900 Balcones Drive.
Andrew Traub is my name, and I want to help you ensure that your loved ones are taken care of. Call me at 343-2572 or email me.

Free Initial Consultation
Did you know that the Traub Law Office offers a free initial consultation?
Part of my dedication to my clients is ensuring that there is a good fit between you and I. The purpose of the free initial consultation is for you to tell your story, learn about me, and then we can decide whether we would work well together. There is no obligation on your part, so why not schedule a free initial consultation today?

Joke of the Month
Outrageous Lawsuits

A minister and his wife sued a guide-dog school for $160,000 after a blind man learning to use a seeing-eye dog trod on the woman's tows in a shopping mall. Southeastern Guide Dogs Inc., a thirteen-year-old guide-dog school and the only one of its kind in the Southeast, raises and trains seeing-eye dogs at no cost to the visually impaired. The lawsuit was brought by Carolyn Christian and her husband, the Reverend William Christian. Each sought $80,000. The couple filed suit thirteen months after Ms. Christian's toe was stepped on and reportedly broken by a blind man who was learning to use his new guide dog, Freddy, under the supervision of an instructor. They were practicing at a shopping mall. According to witnesses, Ms. Christian made no effort to get out of the blind man's way because she "wanted to see if the dog would walk around me." -American Tort Reform Association

Warning...

"Were You In A Car Accident?"


I have recently published a new free Special Report exposing inside secrets auto insurance companies don't want you to know. If you would like a copy of this free report, simply email me your name and mailing address and I will send it out right away!


Moving?

If you are looking to buy a new home or sell your existing home, give me a shout. I know tons of realtors and mortgage brokers and will refer several to you that match your needs.

If you prefer to sell your house on your own, contact me for help reviewing the contract or writing one up for you.
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 Estate Tips

Travelling With a Baby - A Checklist

Travelling with a baby can sometimes mean that you are so consumed with ensuring that you have everything you need to care for the baby on the trip that you forget things you need for yourself. The best thing to do is to prepare a checklist of what you need and then check off each item as you pack it.

A sample checklist should include the following items:
  • Diapers/ pampers
  • Blankets
  • Sleepers
  • Baby wipes
  • Baby lotion and soap
  • Extra pacifiers
  • Bottle
  • Formula, food, water and/or juice
  • Resealable plastic bags
  • Extra clothes - at least one or two outfits per day
  • Nightlight
  • Car seat
  • Portable crib
  • Collapsible stroller
  • Sun hat and sun screen
  • Toys
  • Plastic for use in changing the baby
  • Any necessary medicines
  • Extra shirt for yourself
  • Burping pad
  • Washable bibs
  • Feeding spoons
  • Kettle, if the hotel room does not have kitchen facilities
The packing for a trip involving a baby should start weeks in advance to ensure that no detail is overlooked. As you pack each item or article, check to make sure you have added extra in case of accidents.

Simply go through a sample day at home and make a list of everything the baby needs when not travelling. Add extra to the list. Bring a camera and plenty of film or if you use a digital ensure that the memory card can store lots of pictures.

Car Safety Tips

The single biggest threat to your babies life as documented every year by every relevant US government agency is the threat when they are travelling in the car with you, friends or family.

Here are a few tips to make sure your baby will always be safe when travelling in a car.

Car Seats
When buying a car seat, make sure you look for:
  1. A label that clearly states that it meets or exceeds the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
  2. That the car seat is setup exactly and will suit a child of your weight and height
  3. Really be that the seat you choose fits your child perfectly - Infants one year or younger and up to 20 pounds must be placed in a rear-facing seat, toddlers (older than 1 year and between 20 and 40 pounds) may use a forward-facing seat, and children who are between 40 and 80 pounds need to be placed in a booster seat.
  4. Check recent car seat recalls before making a purchase
  5. Be aware of the type of seat belts your car has; all car seats are not compatible with all seat belts
  6. Consider choosing a seat that is upholstered in fabric - it may be more comfortable for your child.
Car seats may be required but there's one other thing you should be doing to protect your children in the car, because the best-constructed car seat in the world doesn't insure they'll live through an accident.

Prevention is the best cure, and driver error has been documented to contribute to over 90% of collisions. Your distractibility is crucial, and once again one of our best technological advances has proven to be a very mixed blessing. You might even say a very mixed curse. And what is that?

It's the conversation you're having with your sister about the party next week. Or the quick call to verify directions or to say you're running late. Or worst of all, an intense or complex relationship issue you're discussing with your spouse on the cell phone while driving. It doesn't matter whether it's hand-held or mounted, and it doesn't matter whether you're dialing, chatting, intensely relating, or hanging up. It's dangerous.

According to the Fatal Analysis Reporting System, in one analysis of fatal accidents involving cell phone use, the cell phone-using drivers were all in what's called "the striking vehicle." This means they either hit a stationary object, or left their lane of traffic and struck a vehicle or obstacle. In these crashes, 75% of the drivers were engaged in conversation, 13% were dialing, and 13% were hanging up. And worse yet - of those engaged in conversation, 1/3 were using mounted phones in the hands-free mode.

Risk of collision when using a cell is 4 times higher regardless of your age, driving experience, of experience with a cell phone, and - get this: the hands-free units offer no safety advantage. People using cell phones simply take longer to react, and miss things that would allow them to avoid collisions. Even when not at-fault, cell users were unable to avoid collisions with others. Your cell phone records can and will be subpoened in case of a lawsuit involving an accident, by the way. So why not, when you strap the kids into their car seats, lay the cell phone down on the floor beside them and turn off the ringer? Cell phones are great for productivity and personal safety. Just make sure you aren't using yours to call the EMS after a car accident caused by the fact you were using yours while driving. Go here for tips for safe cell phone use in the car (if there is such a thing). And when you buckle up, buckle up the cell as well.

P. S. And don't let the grandparents off the hook either. According to the National Public Services Research Institute for AAA, where cell phone use in the car is concerned, the distraction effect in drivers over the age of 50 is 2-3 times as great and encompasses all tasks - placing calls, simple conversations, and complex conversations. They increase response time by 33-38%. With statistics like this, can legislation be far behind? But do you need legislation to do what's right?

Services Offered by the Traub Law Office
estate planning tips image Why plan your estate? Here are some of the benefits:
  1. Establish guardianship for your minor or incapacitated children
  2. Establish trusts for minor children to prevent them from getting everything at once
  3. Establish trusts for minor children so they won't get everything at age 18
  4. Establish trusts for incapacitated adults to protect them from themselves
  5. Establish who can make medical decisions for you if you become incapacitated
  6. Establish who can pay your bills if you become incapacitated
  7. Specify what actions doctors should take if you are incapacitated and have an irreversible condition
  8. Leave property to charities and organizations
  9. Leave property to people who are not related to you
  10. Make sure property does not got to people you don't want it to go to
  11. Leave property to people or organizations you choose, rather than the State of Texas
  12. Reduce or eliminate Federal Estate Taxes
Here are some of the services I offer:
We would love to hear what you think of this issue of the Estate Planning Newsletter. And of course, if you have any suggestions for upcoming issues that you'd like to share with us, please send those, too! Just e-mail me.

P.S. My business is completely by referrals so if you know of someone who is in need of legal assistance, please send them my way. You have my promise I will provide excellent service!

P.P.S. If you liked this newsletter you can forward it to a friend or colleague.


You can view a web version of this newsletter, as well as past newsletters

This newsletter is designed for general information only. The information presented in this newsletter should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.
5900 Balcones Drive, Suite 132 € Austin, Texas 78731 € Phone: 512-343-2572 € Fax: 512-275-3786
Copyright © 2005 The Traub Law Office. All Rights Reserved